Stock line wearing element



Patented Jan. l, 1952 v'UNITED STATES. PATENT GFFICE.y

STOCK LINE WEARING ELEMENT Harold Cope, University Heights, Ohio, assignmto The American Steel and Wire Company oi.' New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 15, 1949, serial No. 99,286

(ci. 26o-31) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wearing elements for use in the stock-line zone of blast furnaces of the type used to produce pig iron.

'I'he refractory lining in the stock-line zone'is subject to more severe conditions of wear than that in the other zones of the furnace. Consequently its life is considerablyshorter. Damage to the lining at the stock line is the sole cause for many costly shutdowns of such furnaces.

Patent No. 2,148,856, issued to me on February 28, 1939, discloses a novel lining for the stockline zone comprising a multiplicity of metallic U-shaped elements incorporated into the refractory lining. The U-elements present a substantially continuous metallic face to the materials charged into the furnace and protect the refractory brickwork from the abrasive action of the charge as it shifts downwardly into the furnace'. The use of this lining has greatly reduced the number of shutdowns on furnaces on which it has been installed. However, experience has shown that the lining inthe lower zones of a furnace is still in good operablecondition even when the wearing face of the sfere-'mentioned U-shaped elements is completelyv worn away. I have found that by an improvement in the shape of the wearing element of my earlier patent astock-line zone lining having a life equal to or greater than the life of the lining in other zones ci the furnace is obtained.

Referring again to my earlier patent, the legs of the U-shaped wearing elements project into the brickwork and are provided with openings through which the brickwork extends. Such construction resists cracking, warpage and distortion. The wearing elementsare designed to per-A mit them to be laid in regular broken joint pattern, thus avoiding the need for special methods of installation. 'I'he commercial success of the lining can be attributed tothese features.

However, when the wearing face of the U-elements becomes worn away, a considerable area of come by the present invention andy at the same time all the advantages of my earlier invention are retained. I

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lining at the stock-line zone of a blast furnace whereby the perlodvof uninterrupted operations is further extended and the operating costs further reduced.

Another object is an improved wearing element of such shape that it can be laid in regular broken joint pattern and incorporated into the refractory lining so as to form with the latter a unitary lining which as a consequence of this construction is free of warping and distortion.

Still another object is to provide a wearing element of such shape that when laid in regular broken joint pattern will present a series of substantially continuous vertical metallic ribs extending the length of the stock-line zone after the original wearing face is worn away.

These and other objects willl become apparent 'from the following specification when read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial vertical cross-section through a blast furnace at the stock-lining zone thereof:

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line lI-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the improved E-shapedwearing elements of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the wearing element taken along the line IV--IV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a developed partial elevation of the stock-line zone.

In Figure i, the stock-line zone of a blast furnace is indicated generally at I. The lining is shown arranged within the outer shell 2 of the furnace and at a slight distance therefrom to allow for expansion. In accordance with the present invention this lining comprises the wearing elements 3 and the refractory brickwork 4. The individual wearing elements are substantially E-shaped in plan view and are comprised of the equally spaced legs 5 joined by the base 6, the face 1 of which forms the original wear resistant surface. The base i is preferably, but not necessarily, arcuate-shaped, as indicated in Figure 3. Each of the legs 5 is provided with an opening 8 of such size as to permit the brickwork to be extended therethrough. The length of the legs is approximately equal to the thickness of lining desired. The elements 3 are preferably of such a height which enables them to be easily handled by a mason. 'l'he elements may be made of steel or other wear-resistant material. As best shown in Figure 5, the wearing elements are laid in the regular broken joint pattern commonly used in masonry work. i. e., in separate vertically spaced courses, each horizontal row being offset a half element so that the horizontal ioints are continuous and the vertical joints, discontinuous. The refractory lining is laid so as to extend through the openings l into the space between said legs. In this way the continuity of the brickwork is substantially unbroken and the wearing elements are securely anchored in the refractory. If desired. a metallic rod or bar, not shown in the drawings, may be threaded through the openings I, preferably toward the back thereof. 'I'he rods or bars can be fastened to the legs so as to provide a firmly integrated structure.

The above described construction affords a lining which expands and contracts as a unit and is therefore substantially free from warpage and distortion. It initially presents a substantially continuous abrasion-resistant face to the materials charged into the furnace, and in addition when this original wearing face is worn away, the legs of the E-shaped elements remain to form substantially continuous vertical ribs running the length of the stock-line zone. These ribs because of their continuity continue to protect the refractory lining from abrasion. While they are not as efcient in this respect as the original wearing face, nevertheless they add substantially to the life of the lining at the stock line; increasing the life to equal or exceedI that of the lining in the other portions of the furnace.

The improved wearing element has been described as E-shaped. This shape is preferred since it provides an element which is easily handled during installation. However, an element having any odd number of le'gs is usable. Increasing the number of legs decreases the number of Joints per course but adds to the weight of the individual elements. i

While I have described a specific embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture adapted to be incorporated into the lining at the stock-line zone of a blast furnace comprising a metallic element having a rectangular base portion, leg portions extending upwardly from two opposite edges of said base. and an odd number of similar leg portions equally spaced from each other and from said edge legs extending upwardly from said base and substantially parallel to said edge legs, each of said legs having an opening therein, said opening being of sufficient size to permit the refractory brickwork of a blast furnace to extend therethrough, and the edge of said opening nearest the base portion being spaced a substantial distance therefrom.

2. An article of manufacture adapted to be incorporated into the lining at the stock line zone of a blast furnace comprising a metal element hav'ing a rectangular wearing face portion, rectangular leg portions extending outwardly from the back of the face portion at two opposite edges thereof and a similar intermediate leg portion extending from the back of the face portion midway of the edge legs and substantially parallel thereto. each of said leg portions having an opening therein of sufficient size to permit a portion of the refractory brickwork of the blast furnace to extend therethrough, the edges of said openings nearest the face portion being spaced a substantial distance therefrom, the arrangement of said face and leg portions providing a substantially E-shaped element, whereby when said elements are embedded in the lining in successive courses in regular broken-joint pattern, said intermediate leg portions of the elements in one course are substantially in vertical augment with the edge legs of the elements in adjacent courses.

3. A blast furnace having an outer shell, a vertical axis and a refractory lining characterized by a stock line zone lining comprising a multiplicity of metallic wear-resistant elements embedded in the refractory lining at the stock line zone. each of said wear-resistant elements having a rectangular wearing face portion, rectangular leg portions extending outwardly from the back of the face portion at the two opposite edges thereof and a similar leg portion extending from the back of the face portion midway of the edge legs and substantially parallel thereto. each of said leg portions having an opening therein of sumcient size to permit a portion of the refractory lining to extend therethrough, the edges of said openings nearest the face portion being spaced a substantial distance therefrom; said multiplicity of wear-resistant elements being laid in regular broken-joint pattern with the intermediate leg portions of the elements of one course substantially in vertical alinement with the edge leg portions of the elements in adjacent courses and with their wearing faces disposed toward the interior of the furnace, their leg portions disposed outwardly toward the shell of the furnace and parallel to the vertical axis of the furnace.

4. In a blast furnace having a shell and a refractory lining therein, the combination therewith of a plurality of wear-resistant elements embedded in successive courses in the lining in the zone of the stock line of the furnace. each of said elements having a rectangular face portion initially exposed on the inner surface of the lining,

, leg portions extending outwardly from the side edges of said face portion, a similar intermediate leg portion extending outwardly from the face portion in the median vertical plane normal to the face portion, the elements in successive courses being laid in regular broken-joint pattern with the intermediate leg portions of the elements of one course substantially in vertical'alignment with the edge leg portions of the elements in ad- .jacent courses whereby after wearing away of the face portions of the elements, the leg portions of adjacent courses form substantially continuous wear-resistant ribs embedded in said lining.

HAROLD COPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following' references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

